If your a borderline diabetic, should you cut back on your sugar?

Question

The doctor told me i am borderline, i exercise everyday. I do 3 hrs cardio a day plus weights. I love to have my big bowl of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream with choc syrup and whipped cream. I don't want to give it up. Do i have to?

Answer 1

Yes...

Answer 2

Cutting back on sugars is not the answer. You need to exercise every day, and eat proper foods. See your doctor, they can give you an exercise program and food charts to show what you should be eating to stop or control your chance of having diabetes.

Answer 3

smoke a big fattie , mary jane lowers blood sugar , thats why you get the munchies !  

Answer 4

Instead of a big bowl...go with a smaller serving instead.

What diabetics have to watch is their carb intake, so cut back on your carbs which does include the sweets but also breads, potatoes, and pastas. (think Adkins). So we have a carb amount to stay at per meal and snacks. So if we allot for chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, then we can eat it!

visit www.diabetes.org for more info. (website for the american diabetes association).  

Answer 5

yeah might be a good idea to cut back, esp. if the doc says so.  

Answer 6

So try an experiment:

Have your doctor do an A1C test.  Make sure that you know the reading (should be between 5 and 6).

Next, cut out ALL sugars for 90 days,  No colas, sports drinks, energy drinks, ice cream, candy, cookies, or cakes.  Use artificial sweetners in your tea and coffee, or drink water.

Also cut BACK on your starches -- eat LESS breads and crackers, rice, pastas, and potates (all kinds).

Eat more fiber, like green salads, brocolli, Cheerios, and whole grain breads and cereals.

Do this for 90 days (three months), then have another A1C taken.

My guess is that your FIRST A1C is going to be relatively high like between 7 and 8.  I would HOPE that your second A1C is between 5 and 6.  If this all happens, it shows that you ARE capable of controlling the disease.  Good Job!

In this case, continue watching you diet, but go ahead and have your ice cream -- just less of it, in smaller servings. Continue to keep sugars and starches low (eat smaller servings), and increase the fibers.  Your exercise seems to be good.

If - IF - your A1C stays high (greater than 7) then you may have crossed the border from Pre-Diabetic into Full Diabetes.  Have the doctor perform a Glucose Tolerance Test.  

Then follow his orders -- and that will probably mean giving up the ice cream.

But what a trade off!  You give up ice cream but look what you gain:

>>Lower blood pressure

>>Lower Cholesterol

>>Less chance of stroke or heart attack.

>>Less chance of blindness, kidney disease, or amputation.

>>Better sexual functions.

SURELY you'd give up ice cream for better s*x . . . ????

Answer 7

My doctors told me that there really is no such thing as being borderline diabetic.  You either are or are not a diabetic, but yes cutting back on the amount of sugar you eat can help.

Answer 8

It would be wiser to cut it out completely and use substitutes instead...Yes, you need to watch your diet.  Many doctors don't even use that old phrase "borderline" diabetic.  You are a diabetic, plain and simple, and you need to watch your diet.  You can have your ice cream every now and then, but just in a very small portion, and less often.  Besides, it's fattening...

Answer 9

yes.  You can either cut the size of the bowl down, or switch to no-sugar-added products.  Better to get the problem under control now than to keep eating like you're eating and end up on a fistfull of meds and/or diabetic complications.