Prediabetes: What It Means and How to Lower Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Hearing “you have prediabetes” can leave you with a lot of questions. Do you need to stop eating carbs? Give up dessert? Change everything overnight?

Take a breath. You have options, and you can start small.

Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than normal, but below the range used to diagnose diabetes. It deserves attention, but it does not mean type 2 diabetes is inevitable. [1]

As a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, I want you to leave this page with a clearer understanding of your diagnosis and a few practical steps you can use in everyday life.

Around here, we make room for carbs, satisfying meals, and habits you can actually repeat.

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Originally published in 2018. Updated October 1, 2026.

What is prediabetes?

Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use glucose, or blood sugar, for energy.

With insulin resistance, cells do not respond to insulin as effectively. Your pancreas may make more insulin to compensate. When insulin production can no longer meet your body's needs, blood sugar can rise into the prediabetes range. [1]

Insulin resistance and prediabetes are related, but they are not interchangeable. You can have insulin resistance before your blood sugar reaches the prediabetes range.

Prediabetes also signals a need to pay attention to heart health, including blood pressure and cholesterol. Your care plan can address those alongside blood sugar. [2]

How is prediabetes diagnosed?

Your healthcare professional can use any of these laboratory tests: [3]

Test	Prediabetes range	What it measures
A1C	5.7%–6.4%	An estimate of average blood sugar over roughly the past 2–3 months
Fasting plasma glucose	100–125 mg/dL	Blood sugar after fasting for at least 8 hours
Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test	140–199 mg/dL	Blood sugar 2 hours after a standardized 75-gram glucose drink

These are diagnostic ranges, rather than targets for every reading on a home glucose meter. An ordinary meal also is not the same as the standardized glucose drink used for testing.

Your healthcare provider will interpret the results and decide whether additional testing is needed. Some conditions can affect the accuracy of A1C, so mention relevant health changes or concerns.

The American Diabetes Association recommends screening beginning at age 35 for adults who do not otherwise meet criteria for earlier testing. Earlier screening may be appropriate based on your risk factors. [3]

Why do some people develop prediabetes?

Prediabetes has multiple contributing factors. Eating dessert or having a busy week does not explain a diagnosis on its own.

Risk factors include family history, increasing age, lower physical activity, overweight or obesity, previous gestational diabetes, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as PCOS. [11, 13] Some medications and conditions, including sleep apnea, can also play a role. [1, 11]

A useful question to ask your healthcare provider is: “Which factors matter most for me, and what can we work on together?”

That gives you a more useful starting point than blaming yourself or comparing your habits with someone else's.

What symptoms should you watch for?

Many people with prediabetes feel completely well. You cannot reliably tell whether you have it based on cravings, fatigue, or how you feel after eating. [1]

If you develop increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, or blurred vision, contact your healthcare provider rather than waiting for your next routine appointment. These can be symptoms of diabetes and need evaluation. [4]

How to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes

There is no single perfect “prediabetes diet.” The goal is to build a pattern that supports your health and works in your actual life.

Here are places to begin.

1. Build balanced meals with the foods you enjoy

Carbohydrates can stay on the menu. The amount you eat, the food's fiber content, and the rest of the meal all influence your blood sugar response. Pairing carbs with protein, fat, or fiber can slow the rise in blood sugar after eating. [5]

My practical meal-building formula is:

Carb + Protein + Fat + Fiber

Use it as a helpful prompt. Foods overlap: beans provide carbs, protein, and fiber; nuts provide fat, protein, and some fiber. You do not need four separate foods or a perfect plate every time.

For practical ideas, try my roasted sweet potato and cauliflower power bowl or peanut butter energy bites. For more family meal ideas, you can also find The Healthy Family Cookbook on Amazon (affiliate link).

If you're having…	Try adding…
Toast	Eggs and sliced tomato, or peanut butter and berries
Oatmeal	Greek yogurt, nuts, and fruit
Pasta	Chicken or beans, vegetables, and olive oil or pesto
A baked potato	Chili or cottage cheese, plus a vegetable you enjoy
Crackers for a snack	Cheese or hummus, with fruit or vegetables if you'd like

These are meal ideas, not promises of a specific glucose response. Portions and individual needs still matter.

For a visual starting point, the diabetes plate method uses about half a plate of non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter protein, and one-quarter carbohydrate foods. It is a flexible guide you can adapt for bowls, soups, and mixed meals. [5]

2. Make fiber easier to include

Fiber-rich carbohydrate foods include beans, lentils, oats, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables. They bring nutrients and variety to your meals, and fiber can support blood sugar management. [6]

My guide to cooking dried beans can help you get started, and freezer oatmeal cups make a convenient base for breakfast. Add the toppings and protein source you enjoy.

Choose one easy addition:

• Add canned beans to a soup or taco filling.
• Keep frozen vegetables for busy nights.
• Sprinkle nuts or seeds on yogurt or oatmeal.
• Include fruit with breakfast or a snack.
• Try a whole-grain bread you actually like.

Increase fiber gradually and drink enough fluids to help your digestive system adjust. [6]

3. Look at your usual drinks

If sugary drinks are a regular part of your day, replacing some with water or unsweetened drinks is a useful place to start. [7]

Try plain or sparkling water, or water flavored with citrus, berries, or cucumber. You can also adjust gradually: have a smaller serving or replace one usual drink at a time.

Need flavor ideas? Try these five infused-water combinations.

4. Move in ways you can repeat

A common prevention goal is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, such as brisk walking. You can build toward it gradually and divide activity into shorter sessions. [2, 8]

A few starting ideas:

• Walk for 5–10 minutes after a meal when it fits your day.
• Walk during part of a child's sports practice.
• Dance, swim, ride a bike, or choose another activity you enjoy.
• Stand up and move during breaks from desk work.

Include strength training, too. A general goal is two days per week, using weights, resistance bands, or body-weight exercises that fit your abilities. [8]

A short session counts as a place to begin. Build from what you can do consistently.

5. Give sleep and recovery some attention

Sleep belongs in your health plan. Shift work, caregiving, stress, and disrupted sleep can make routines harder to maintain; regularly getting too little sleep is also associated with greater type 2 diabetes risk. [9]

Start with one change within your control: a more consistent bedtime, a short wind-down routine, or moving your phone away from the bed.

If you snore loudly or regularly wake feeling unrefreshed, bring it up with your healthcare provider. Sleep apnea is one condition associated with insulin resistance. [1]

And if you are caring for a baby or working an unpredictable schedule, choose a realistic improvement for this season of life.

6. Discuss weight management when it is appropriate

For people with overweight or obesity, losing about 5%–7% of starting weight can be part of an effective diabetes prevention plan. [2, 10]

Weight loss does not need to be everyone's goal. Ask your healthcare team whether it is appropriate for you and what support would help.

Either way, choose goals you can act on: preparing a satisfying breakfast, being more active, or adding fiber to meals. Weight and lab results give useful information, but they are not the only measures of progress.

7. Keep follow-up care in the plan

People with prediabetes should generally be tested for diabetes at least once a year; your healthcare provider may recommend a different schedule based on your situation. [3]

Ask about blood pressure, cholesterol, nutrition support, and whether a CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Program would be a good fit. These programs offer structured support for building and maintaining habits. [2, 10]

Medication can also be appropriate. The ADA recommends considering metformin for selected adults at higher risk, including some people with a history of gestational diabetes or higher blood sugar levels. [10]

Medication and lifestyle habits can work together. Needing treatment is not a measure of effort or willpower.

Can prediabetes be reversed?

Some people return to blood sugar levels below the prediabetes range. That is often called “reversing prediabetes.” Others may delay progression or improve their health without moving out of that range. [12]

Returning to normal-range results does not guarantee that future risk disappears. Continue the habits and follow-up plan that work for you.

If your results do not improve as expected, talk with your healthcare team about adjusting the plan. More restriction is not automatically the answer.

A realistic first week

Pick one or two actions that fit your life. If prepping ahead makes your week easier, glass meal-prep containers (affiliate link) can help you store ready-to-use meal components. Use containers you already have, too.

Here is an example of a first-week plan:

Focus	A doable action
Breakfast	Add a protein source to your usual breakfast on three mornings.
Movement	Take a 10-minute walk after dinner on three evenings.
Fiber	Add beans or lentils to one meal this week.
Follow-up	Put your next lab check or appointment on the calendar.

Notice the difference between “I need to get healthier” and “I'll walk after dinner on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” The second gives you something concrete to try.

If it does not work, adjust the timing or make the goal smaller. A workable habit gives you something to build on.

This article provides general education for adults and does not replace individualized medical care. Work with your healthcare team on testing, treatment, and a plan that fits your needs.

References

1. NIDDK. Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes.
2. CDC. Prediabetes—Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
3. American Diabetes Association. Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026.
4. NIDDK. Type 2 Diabetes.
5. CDC. Diabetes Meal Planning.
6. CDC. Fiber: The Carb That Helps You Manage Diabetes.
7. American Diabetes Association. Facilitating Positive Health Behaviors and Well-being to Improve Health Outcomes: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026.
8. NIDDK. Healthy Living with Diabetes.
9. CDC. Diabetes and Shift Work.
10. American Diabetes Association. Prevention or Delay of Diabetes and Associated Comorbidities: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026.
11. CDC. About Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.
12. NIDDK. Why Screen for & Treat Prediabetes.
13. Endocrine Society. Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome: New name to improve diagnosis and care. May 12, 2026.

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