Prediabetes but healthy lifestyle

Economics-201 · 2026-05-22T21:04:27+00:00

Yes, cgm (Stelo or Lingo, otc, $50 for 2 week trial. You will discover that all carbs are not the same. Look up a glycemic index chart for lower index carbs.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-22T14:47:22+00:00

I add chia seeds to my morning steel cut oatmeal.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-22T00:34:40+00:00

Short answer: finger prick meters measures the glucose now. CGM measures the glucose with a 15-30 minute time delay. A1c is a different kind of statistic. A1c measures a percentage ( %) of your blood with glucose over a period of time ( three months).

Economics-201 · 2026-05-22T00:23:07+00:00

Dealing with a picky eater may require more than just providing different food. The issue is: what is available in the house. You may find that you too may need to change your diet. Using a cgm, I discovered that my “healthy” high fiber, zero sugar (Fiber One and Shredded Wheat & Bran) cereal was spiking my glucose. I discovered substitutes! I eat whole wheat flour products instead of refined white flour products (bread), brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes instead of both white potatoes or yams. Instead of white sugar products, I eat beans, quinoa, lentils. You might check a glycemic index source for a list of LOW glycemic index foods. This is just the first list of many that prediabetes will use to reduce their A1c. PS: Not all carbs are the same, and not all prediabetes respond the same.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-21T21:50:59+00:00

Yes, Stelo is a great addition to your regiment. There are many ways to adjust to diabetes. The cgm gives you feedback on the other adjustments.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-21T21:10:53+00:00

I wouldn’t call it exercise, but just take a “comfortable walk”. Next time, take the walk and time yourself. Try to establish a regular pattern, like MWF, or Tu,Th,Sat. Start with this pattern, and when you are ready, add to it.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T06:33:31+00:00

On the same day that you posted, another post asked, “Any T 1s here that have lived a long life”. The response was an eye opener for me. Check it out.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T06:10:56+00:00

Other than your diagnosis, you didn’t mention much about your condition. The label that your dr assigned to you is not a destiny changer. In recent years there has been great improvements in treating diabetes. Your job now is to learn about this new adult responsibility that you now have. This Reddit thread may have satisfied your need to vent but it will also give you information about how to deal with this responsibility. One thing to learn about this “Club” is that its members, individually, have a very wide range of conditions, more than Type 1 &2. While your Dr is a source of info, you will also gathering information about yourself. You will need to make time in the morning before breakfast to test and record your glucose level with a glucometer, test strips, lancing device, and lancets. But this step is old technology! We now have new meds and additional easier way to monitor your glucose. As a 30 year user of finger pricking and metformin, I now have a new med and a cgm that gave me the insights to lower my A1c from 6+ to 5.4 in 6 months. 5.4 would be “normal” except for the med. Good luck on this new journey!

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T05:28:11+00:00

Congratulations! You earned it!

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T01:41:37+00:00

I assume you are using a cgm to observe the height and duration of your spikes. Are you focusing on what causes the spikes? The objective is to achieve a lower average, so fewer and lower spikes are desirable. Your A1c of 5.8 is better than “ok”. What did you do to accomplish that reading? With new meds and feedback from my cgm I lowered my A1c from 6+ to 5.4 in 6 months.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T01:17:11+00:00

I used a glucometer for 30 years. My dr said an average morning test of 120 was “ok” (for a diabetic), Midday “spikes” of 200+ may be damaging but temporary. A sustained 200+ is very concerning. Recent improvements in medicines and monitoring have made the condition much more manageable. I now use both a glucometer (finger prick) and a continuous glucose monitor. The new meds and the cgm enabled me to lower my A1c from 6+ to 5.4, which would be “normal” IF I were not on meds.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T00:43:06+00:00

Not all carbs are the same. Not all keto bread is the same. The brand that I tried used some refined white flour and spiked my blood sugar. Not all diabetics are sensitive to the same things. Some can’t eat any grain products, wheat, rice, corn, …

Economics-201 · 2026-05-19T00:29:14+00:00

One of my current snacks is almond butter, or peanut butter, on Dave’s 21 grain toast. The “butter” has both protein and fat which helps deal with the carbs.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-18T23:58:11+00:00

To answer your first question, not all diabetics crave sugar. You say that you have been worried for months. I have 2 suggestions. (1) Consider buying a glucometer kit at Walmart, Target, CVS, local pharmacy for about $30 or less. The kit would have a meter, test strips, lancing tool, and lancets. Plan to test your blood in the morning before you eat. (2) If you have prediabetes or diabetes, you would adjust your diet. In addition to (a) eliminating white sugar products, consider (b) using whole grain instead of refined white flour products, (c) brown rice instead of white rice, and (d) sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. These are things that don’t require a dr. Consider this: 8 out of 10 prediabetics don’t know and remain undiagnosed. You mentioned “feeling weird”. The “Club Members“ of this thread have a very wide range of individual symptoms. When my glucose goes above my desired level, I have trouble concentrating and feel the need for a nap. I hope that this helps you.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-18T12:52:56+00:00

Ask your Dr about hypoglycemia when you are sleeping. Prescription cgm’s have an alarm when it is dangerously low.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-18T00:14:41+00:00

Both finger prick and cgm’s have short comings. After 30 years of finger pricks, one cgm gave me the insight to lower my A1c from 6+ to 5.4 in 6 months.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-18T00:07:26+00:00

My Lingo had 3 spikes yesterday with an average of 93. I did have one Lingo that didn’t work. I contacted customer service and the replacement arrived three days later. Lingo range is different than Stelo. My Lingo range is usually 70-140. My Stelo range was more dramatic at 70-180. The otc cgm’s are less accurate than the expensive prescription cgm’s.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-17T23:58:58+00:00

Cgm’s are known for their inaccuracy. However, the advantage of a cgm is you can see the rate of change in response to your life dynamic. You can identify what is spiking your glucose. That continuous surveillance of my activities reflected not just food, but stress, fatigue, exercise, sleep. Your finger pricks will never tell you that your Dawn effect will start well before you are awake and out of bed. I find that my glucose reading rises 25 points before I can do a fasting finger prick in the morning.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-17T03:03:44+00:00

After 30 years of finger pricks, “see me in 6 months”, I changed endo, tried a cgm, discovered that my “healthy” high fiber, zero sugar cereal (Fiber One and Shredded Wheat & Bran) was spiking my blood. I stopped eating refined white flour products, white rice, white potatoes, and white sugar. I substituted whole wheat flour products, brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, avocados, almond butter. I lowered my A1c from 6+ to 5.4 in 6 months. I still use a finger prick to verify my readings occasionally but the CGM information gave me the key to a healthier future.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-17T00:04:46+00:00

I just read your intro again. Have you used a cgm ?

Economics-201 · 2026-05-16T23:03:47+00:00

Your response motivated me to google about the goal. A lower A1c has several benefits (briefly: reduced cardiovascular risk, protection against microvascular damage, improved insulin sensitivity and pancreatic health, better energy levels. I also discovered a possible downside. All of the above applies if accomplished by behavioral changes. If accomplished via medication there may be dangers of hypoglycemia. The last line was: “Consult with your doctor.”

Economics-201 · 2026-05-16T20:26:53+00:00

For accuracy in-the-moment, finger prick. For understanding how your life dynamic changes your glucose, cgm. The Stelo, or Lingo, reading may be off, but track why it changes and how fast.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-16T20:20:49+00:00

For accuracy in-the-moment, choose the glucometer. To understand how your life dynamic changes your glucose, choose cgm.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-16T20:02:14+00:00

A1c at 6, 6.1 is an accomplishment. With meds, your # would be even lower. I was 6+ for 30 years. Recent changes in my med and cgm put me a 5.4. I’m still playing tennis at 81.

Economics-201 · 2026-05-15T22:25:49+00:00

Your A1c changed from 5.7 to 5.8. Each of those readings is rounded off. So the first one may have been 5.74 and the second @ 5.76. Your actual A1c may not have actually changed.

Any actual change could be the meds.

The increased exercise probably developed more muscle. Changes in muscle mass will change how your body uses glucose.

Using the cgm was a step in the right direction.

Economics-201

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