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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.

If you are considered obese, especially with an above average amount of abdominal fat
and are insulin resistant, you may have what is known as metabolic syndrome. It is
important to note that you can be insulin resistance and not actually have diabetes – yet.
If you are insulin resistant you may be what is termed pre-diabetes.

If you are insulin resistant, your body is not using the insulin your pancreas is producing
effectively. Your pancreas will continue to produce more and more insulin but your body
will not use it and cannot derive the energy from the food you eat. This condition can be
passed on from another member of the family but it is also caused by obesity and
inactivity.

As with diabetes, the risk factors for having metabolic problems – metabolic syndrome –
are quite similar. Age is a risk factor, the older you are the chances of having this are
greater. Almost half of the people with metabolic syndrome are over the age of 60 but
symptoms have been seen in children and adults in their 20’s. Another risk factor for
having this syndrome is race, people from a Hispanic or Asian backgrounds are at a
higher risk than others. And as mentioned there is also the hereditary factory.

Being obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 is a factor too. The difference
with this factor from the others is that most people have an element of control over this.
If they are able to lose weight and exercise they can reduce or eliminate this contributor
towards metabolic syndrome.

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.