Have you been diagnosed with prediabetes? In this post I talk about how to manage prediabetes and prevent it from developing into type 2 diabetes by focusing on lifestyle changes.
This post was originally published in 2018, but was updated in November 2021.
First things first: What is Prediabetes?
With prediabetes, your blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal but are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, prediabetes is diagnosed when you have:
- A Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reading between 5.7-6.4%
- A fasting blood glucose level between 100-125 mg/dl
- An oral glucose tolerance test 2 hour blood glucose reading between 140-199 mg/dl
A diagnosis of prediabetes usually means you have some insulin resistance. This is when your body doesn’t use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates your body’s usage and storage of sugar and fat.
Prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes can lead to many health complications, so it’s best to prevent it before things get worse.
The good news? There are many steps you can take to reverse prediabetes and delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease – and all the complications that go along with them.
Risk Factors For Prediabetes
Right now you may be asking yourself, “Why do I have prediabetes?” Certain risk factors can increase your risk for developing prediabetes. You may be at risk for prediabetes if you:
- Are age 45 or older
- Belong to one of these racial and ethnic groups: African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
- Are overweight
- Are physically inactive
- Have high blood pressure
- Have low HDL “good” cholesterol and/or high triglycerides
- Are a woman who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy
- Have been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
The more risk factors you have, the higher risk you have of developing prediabetes. Some of these things, like your age or your family history, you can’t change. However, there are some things like your weight and how much you exercise, you can change.
Being aware of your risk factors can help you take smart steps and choose which lifestyle habits you may want to change to lower your risk.
How can I prevent diabetes?
As suggested in the title for this blog post, what you do every day (your lifestyle) can affect your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Below are some steps you can take to prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes:
- Be physically active every day
- Take time for self-care
- Make healthy food choices
- Lose weight, if needed. If you’re overweight, losing just 5 to 7% of your total weight can help a lot.
- Get regular health check-ups
- Stay hydrated with water
- Get enough sleep each night
Increase Physical Activity
You don’t have to make a bunch of big changes all at once. Small changes can add up to big results. Think about ways you enjoy being active. This might be by walking, swimming, playing a sport, doing yoga, riding a bike, or joining a local exercise group class.
It’s recommended to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a day, five days a week.
If you are strapped for time you can always find ways to be more active in your day-to-day activities, such as:
- Parking further from the store
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Performing simple desk exercises at work
- Walking in place during TV commercials
Make sure to choose something you actually like to do. If you hate it, you probably won’t stick with it. On the flip side, if you enjoy doing it, you’re more likely to keep up with and continue it.
How to prevent Prediabetes from becoming Type 2 Diabetes with lifestyle changes Share on XPractice Self-Care
Practicing self-care is one thing I think gets overlooked all too often when it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes. After all, if we need to take care of ourselves both on the inside and out – physically, mentally and spiritually. This can help decrease stress and anxiety, which in turn helps improve your overall health.
Wherever or whatever you do to find peace can be self-care. This will look different for everyone. Some self-care ideas include:
- Reading a book
- Listening to a podcast
- Soaking in a hot bath
- Going for a walk
- Relaxing on the couch
- Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night
- Writing in a journal
- Talking with a friend
- Working in your garden
- Getting a pedicure
- Riding your bike
Finding what self-care means to you and choosing a goal in that category is a great step in making healthier lifestyle changes!
Make Healthier Food Choices
Another step you can take to lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes is to make a plan to that includes healthier food choices. Ideas for diet-based lifestyle changes include:
- Switching from regular soda and juice to water
- Choosing whole grains over refined grains (i.e. wheat bread instead of white bread or quinoa or brown rice instead of white rice)
- Including a vegetable at dinner every night
- Eating a healthy breakfast every day
- Opting for lean protein choices, such as poultry without the skin, beans and legumes, lean beef, fish and shellfish, eggs, low-fat dairy or tofu
- Managing portion sizes
- Eating more mindfully
- Learning to cook from scratch at home instead of eating out (i.e. you could cook one new recipe at home each week!)
- Cooking with healthier fats, such as olive oil
- Baking your chicken instead of frying it
- Having fruit for dessert
Again, you don’t need to start with every single one of these goals all at once. You won’t succeed that way. Pick one or two goals at a time that you feel comfortable with, but will still push you to do better.
How to Set SMART Goals
When you decide on a goal, make sure it is a SMART goal. After you have achieved your goal, move on to a new goal while still keeping your previous goal(s) a habit. This is where lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes get a game plan.
A note on weight loss – weight loss in and of itself is NOT a lifestyle change, or behavior. It is the result, or outcome, of healthy behaviors. Please don’t focus solely on the scale! When making goals, choose behavior-based goals.
What is a behavior-based goal? Let me explain:
For example, don’t choose a goal of “I will lose 15 pounds in 3 months” because this doesn’t explain HOW you are going to do that. It is simply an outcome.
Instead, pick something you can actually DO, such as “I will go walking in my neighborhood for 30 minutes, 5 days a week for the next 2 months”.
Focus on the behavior (the how or action) when making goals – not only a weight, lab value or other outcome-oriented goal. After completing your behavior-based goal you just might be pleasantly surprised to find out that you lost weight, lowered your blood glucose levels, or reached some other outcome-based goal.
If you find yourself slipping out of your new habits, it’s okay! Just reassess where you are at, find something to keep you motivated, and make a goal to work towards. Constantly striving to do better and working towards you goals will help ensure success!
Does Having Prediabetes Mean I will Develop Type 2 Diabetes?
Having prediabetes does not always mean you will go on to develop diabetes. Think of it more as an early warning sign. If you ignore it and continue on course as you have been, it will most likely become type 2 diabetes. However, you can take action now to make changes before the problems and complications of diabetes and heart disease arise.
The lifestyle changes you make to reverse your prediabetes are not meant to be temporary. They are for life! Temporary changes will only yield temporary results. If you slip back into old habits, your blood glucose levels can rise again.
It’s important to get regular health checks to ensure your blood glucose levels, along with other health measures like cholesterol and blood pressure, are under control.
You are responsible for your own health, so put your foot forward and make a step in the right direction today!
Small lifestyle changes CAN make a big difference in your overall health and can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Simply choosing 1 or 2 small changes to start working on this week can help you on your path to reverse your prediabetes!
*This post is for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a healthcare professional regarding questions or changes to your diet, exercise regimen and/or health care plan.
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