YIPPPEEE!!! Pre-diabetes update:

Advice? OK, the best advice is to plan ahead.

Write out a menu plan for the week. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a treat once a week, only. Plan filling nutritional meals that you enjoy. There are plenty of great fresh soups in cartons (avoid tinned or packet) these days, that's lunch sorted.

And I think you're going to have to bite the bullet and start cooking from scratch.

When you get an attack of the 'munchies' wait 30 minutes and use the time to go online and find tasty meals.

Finally you don't have to lose lots of pounds every week. A regular loss of 1lb a week is best. And get moving. Walk, swim, whatever suits your lifestyle.

If cakes are your weakness then write this out in large letters and pin it in your kitchen...

I WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO BY A CAKE

ok thanks Aka, will try anything. might have to be 'WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO BY AN OATCAKE' .

You can do it Silverfish remember type 2 diabetes can knock up to 10 years off your life.

Silverfish I wouldn't say I dieted as such. My GP said to lose some weight. Apparently if you just lose 10% of weight it can help. I lost a stone by not drinking the fruit juice like it was water (I thought I was being healthy by drinking it but didn't realise just how much sugar there was in it) He said to leave treats for weekend and not to deprive myself. I did speak to our diabetic nurse at the surgery who said for me to cut out carbohydrates completely. To me that's nuts. I followed what my GP said as I trust him completely. I think the reason my sugar levels were 6.6 last year was because I had been sitting around for almost 3 weeks with shingles, not exercising (which is another way to control the insulin problem) My DH and I go for a walk between 40 mins and 1hr 30 mins at least 5 times a week. Him for his heart and me for pre-diabetes. So:

Cut down on treats.
Don't deprive yourself
Try to lose 10% of body weight
Cut out fruit juices and drink water instead
Exercise if possible at least 35 minutes a day.

Good luck and don't despair. Pre-diabetes can be beaten, diabetes is there for life.

Another thought, as you are familiar with PC why not try Nutracheck. Its an online weight control programme, good fun with great forums. Cheap too.

Ah Silverfish - I do sympathise. I seem to be addicted to binge eating if I eat sugary things like biscuits, cakes, chocolate etc. Also bread. One sandwich is never enough. I am on 17 day diet, which cuts out wheat, sugar and most carbs except fruit and veg. Yes it it pretty boring but only for the first 17 days. Do you like things like tinned tuna/salmon? I am eating only home made food, mostly salads, soups, or egg/chicken/fish and veg., natural yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit. I have found after 3 or 4 days on this, I no longer crave the bad things! My treat is a glass of wine.
It is very hard when we love food - especially cheddar cheese! But do give something healthier a go - the first few days will be the hardest but you will feel so much better. And yes, walking is brilliant too - gives a mood boost too.
Good luck and take care of yourself.

I meant to add that eating lots protein fills you up too.

We are both still steadily losing weight; OH has lost two stone and I have lost one and a half and need two more pounds to get out of overweight BMI into normal. We never have eaten much sugar, but have cut it out almost completely and gone to low GI, spelt flour in bread, quinoa, red rice and pearled spelt in salads. Very small amounts of new potatoes a couple of times a week, small quantities of organic meat, fish and masses of salads. No fruit juice but still eating and enjoying the lovely summer fruits.
Lots of exercise maintaining the garden as the winter diet will involve lots of vegetable soup.
OH is not quite out of pre-diabetes but the level was down considerably on the last test. His arthritic knee is very happy too.
We honestly have not missed anything or felt deprived and the Persiana cookbook continues to be a source of inspiration.

thank you for your ideas, I have tried today but being alone I have been a bit naughty, mind not as much as a normal day.

Good morning Silverfish first of all, stop referring to yourself as naughty you are an adult, not a child, and the guilt tripping after having eaten what you maybe shouldnt will lead you into eating more inappropriate foods. This is how the monolithic diet industry works. Diets dont work, changing eating habits does, go online, there is lots of help, and try to take notice of what Mamie says, all makes sense, you wont feel hungry, and you can eat oat cakes! Oat cakes with good healthy organic peanut butter is a great savoury nibble, or with hummus. Home made hummus is so easy, you just need a blender, throw in the ingredients. And, dont buy cakes and biscuits for your GD, you are not doing her any favours. I have been where you are now, and sitting feeling sorry for yourself and making excuses then eating more rubbish is not the answer, unless the question is do you fancy being diabetic?

Gill

Good news for us here too, DH was diagnosed as pre-diabetic six months ago and told there was no going back, he came back really angry with the attitude of the practice nurse. he went yesterday and has lost 18 lbs since last visit, bloods nearly normal, six months more on meds and then should be off them. He drastically reduced potatoes, pasta, bread, eats lots of oatcakes, porks out nibbles on strawberries and nuts and feels heaps better.

Good news GillT57. Congratulations to Mr 57. I have been wondering if we should start a thread on low GI / salad ideas? We have to read enough about cake on here!

Thats a good idea Mamie. You dont have to go without to eat well. We found the Patrick Holford books very useful. For example, if you have a plate of feta cheese, avocado, olives, hummus, salad and oatcakes you are not going to be going without anything yummy, not eating dreadful cardboard diet food, and it is only a case of opening a few tubs from the fridge and peeling an avocado!

Even a dozen oatcakes, I recommend Nairns smooth they are irresistible. had weight watchers for breakfast and they are dry and hard. Nairns everytime-yellow box.

Aldi do fantastic oatcakes at about a third less, they are around 69p per box and are lovely. They also do great bags of mixed nuts and fruit for a very reasonable price. I think that weightwatchers food is a rip off Silverfish, often very unhealthy as they emphasise the low fat but keep quiet about the high sodium. If you can find them, Nairns do a fantastic range of flavoured oatcakes, such as cheese, fruit and ginger. Just pop one of the little packs in your handbag and you have a no danger snack.

Gill, I do frequently, mind they are nicer with chocolate spread