Worried about type 2

[worrytoomuch]

Hi all! I’ve set up an appt with a new regular doctor for the 7th of June. While it’s pretty soon, the wait is dreadful! My health anxiety has been pretty absent until recently, I was prescribed bc pills for skin infections which helped that and my anxiety. Anyhow, I have been on a weight loss journey since the first week of February through WW and have lost 20 lbs so far (I had gone on a 3 week vacation and didn’t track much but didn’t gain back weight!) and that’s 30 lbs overall from my highest weight. However I’m still severely obese. I am 22 (female) and worried about being prediabetic or fully diabetic as I’ve not had blood test done for a few years. I don’t have any symptoms, as I would expect regardless. I have no family history despite my parents also being obese and older without the disease. I am just trying to figure out how (ir)rational I am being while I am waiting. I am also trying to decide whether to bring up the diabetes concern to the doctor (she will definitely hear about my HA) or just let the blood result speak for itself. Thanks all for any replies

[AbyssalStars]

Hey there! I too have an underlying fear of diabetes/ pre-diabetes mainly becuase I have PCOS, which puts you at an increased risk. It's good that you lost some weight. I don't know how heavy you are starting out, so I can't calculate this for you, but on the JohnHopkins site, it says that if you lose 5 to 10% of you body weight, you decrease your risk of diabetes by as much as 58%. Wow! For example, in January, I weighed 185 lbs. If I wanted to lose 5% of that, I would lose 9.25 lbs., and if I wanted to lose 10%, I would lose 18.5lbs. Currently, I weigh 160 lbs (I lost 25 lbs), which means I have lowered my risk for diabetes by more than 58%.

Lifestyle changes can either help or hinder your risk as well. To truly lower your risk of diabetes, you don't want to over-work your pancreas, which means that you want to avoid foods that will rocket your blood sugar. That means not eating hard candies/donuts/milk chocolate, and in general avoiding added sugars. You also want to be wary of processed carbs like breads, as these can spike your blood sugar too. I would recommend looking up Glycemic Index foods if you want to learn more about you should and should not be eating.

Also, exercise helps to lower blood sugar, so that is always a good option (but exercise does not make up for poor food choices. You still will put strain on your pancreas if you eat a bunch of sugar prior to working out).

[worrytoomuch]

Thanks for the reply! I’ve already lost 8% of my body weight overall, 5% this year, which tells you how much I weigh, but I am not going to hate myself for it, it does no good. I am already cutting out added sugars and almost all processed foods. I want to be healthy, but I’d like carbs sometimes! That’s oddly my only concern, because I know I can manage diabetes if I have it/develop it, I just would like to continue losing weight without a strict low carb diet (I lost some weight from this) as when I tried it for a few months, it made me feel sick and tired the whole time. I definitely have no issue limiting my carbs, but I felt awful with 30g or less a day. I have been bringing in moderate exercise as well! Just building stamina as of now.

[AbyssalStars]

Understandable! Here's a list of low GI carbs that are great options to eat throughout the day (and maintain above 30 g of carbs per day!):

• Fresh fruits
  
  • Apples
  • Peaches
  • Plums
  • Pears
  • Oranges
  • Kiwi
  • Mango
  
  
• Non-starchy vegetables
  
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Eggplant
  • Bell peppers
  • Kale
  • Tomatoes
  
  
• Whole grains and multigrain
  
  • Brown rice
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Corn
  • Whole wheat bread (in moderation)
  • Oatmeal
  
  
• Beans
  
  • Black beans
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Kidney beans
  • Soy beans
  • Baked beans
  
  
• Dairy
  
  • Plain yogurt
  • Milk
  • Premium, full-fat ice cream with few sugary add-ons (though this should only be an occasional treat)

Edit: Sorry if I come across as pushy. I just want to make sure that you are aware of any options. You don't have to eat any of this if you don't want to. I sure as heck don't eat like this (though I probably should tbh).

Edit 2: Just 1/4th of a cup of oatmeal has around 25 to 29 grams of carbs, so that is a great option for breakfast!

[worrytoomuch]

Thanks for this list! I like the majority of what’s on here and some things I can’t eat (sensitive). If I’m trying to stay above 30g a day, what should my maximum be? Maybe that’s only determined by a doc but I have seen a lot of mixed answers in researching. Some sites say diabetics can eat 250g a day while diabetics tend to try to eat 0 carbs. I know it’s also important to eat around the same amount of carbs at every meal. I really don’t know what my chances are of having this, but I am trying to just be mentally okay with it if I am.

[AbyssalStars]

Well, for the average person, carbs should make up roughly 45 to 65% of your daily food intake, so if you eat a total of 2000 calories per day, that means that 900 to 1300 calories should come from carbohydrates. This translates to approximately 225 to 325 grams per day. If you want to lose weight, maybe consider lowering your daily carb intake to around 100 or 150 grams per day. Hope this helps! (this info can be found on healthline.com, "How many carbs should you eat per day to lose weight?")

[worrytoomuch]

Thank you for all your help!

[AbyssalStars]

Also, my mom is diabetic, and it is patently false that diabetics must try to eat near zero carbs a day. She always has a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and raspberries in the morning, and she eats plenty of breaded shrimp and cod. What they need to watch out for is High GI carbs mainly, and even then, they can eat those in careful moderation as long as they are aware of their blood sugar level.

[worrytoomuch]

So good to know! I feel more confident now that I will not be truly devastated if I am diagnosed. It was never a true health fear, just major changes to my diet when it can be hard! Thank you for helping me know more foods I can eat if that is the case and a better understanding of diabetic diets!

[gillebro]

Hi there!
I realise the last post here was a while ago, but I thought I might be able to provide some extra reassurance.
So. I have type 2. I'm 32 (which is young), but it's quite prevalent on both sides of my family, and being quite fat (not a fan of the word "obese" myself) and having PCOS and the like, in many ways it was only a matter of time.
I've had my diagnosis for about a year now, and honestly? It's been fine. I get regular blood tests to check sugar levels, and every year I'll have various tests to check for neuropathy and eye damage and the like. If it ever looks like things are worsening, doctors will very quickly take steps to treat it.

Another thing: diabetes is reversible. I'm currently taking steps to try and reverse it myself. Nothing too drastic - I've taken up running and reduced my carb intake a bit. If I need to get more drastic, I will, but I'm pretty determined to reverse it in the next year or so.

From what you've said, it sounds like you're fine. I guess all I'm trying to say is, even if you do have diabetes, it will be ok.