Reversing Prediabetes: What Actually Worked for Me

Prediabetes is a warning shot. I ignored mine, and I went on to a Type 2 diagnosis, four and a half years on prescription medications, and eventually seven of them at once — diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, the lot. If you're reading this with a letter from your GP in front of you, you're in a much better position than I was. This is what I'd tell you.

What the letter actually means

An HbA1c in the prediabetes range means your blood sugar has been running high enough, for long enough, to show up in a three-month average. It isn't a moral failing and it isn't the beginning — it's the point where a process that's been building quietly for years finally became visible.

What's underneath it is insulin resistance. If nobody has explained that to you properly, start here: insulin resistance explained.

What I got wrong first

I ate less of the same food. Smaller portions, low-fat versions, more willpower. I lost a bit, felt miserable, put it back, and concluded I was the problem. What I hadn't changed was the pattern: sugar in some form at breakfast, something to keep me going mid-morning, a sandwich at lunch, biscuits with tea, a big dinner and a picking session in the evening. Insulin never got a break.

What actually worked

1. Steady the blood sugar at meals. Protein and fibre first, sugar and ultra-processed food dialled right down. I did this with a fibre-rich drink before my main meals so it happened whether or not I was feeling disciplined.
2. Stop grazing. Three meals, nothing in between. This was the single biggest change and the hardest fortnight.
3. A sensible eating window. Most days I eat inside a window rather than from waking to bedtime — see intermittent fasting explained.
4. Protect muscle. Enough protein, and enough movement to keep what I had. Muscle is where blood sugar goes.
5. Ninety days before judging it. HbA1c is a three-month average. There's no point checking the scales daily and drawing conclusions on a Tuesday.

The timeline, honestly

• Day 90: two stone down, two medications gone.
• Six months: five stone down, five more gone.
• Eleven months: seven stone down, off all seven.
• Four years on: still maintaining, and fitter at fifty-six than I was at forty-five.

That's my result, not a promise. The point of writing it down is the shape of it: nothing happened in week one, and everything happened because week one turned into month twelve.

Numbers to ask your GP for

HbA1c and fasting glucose, a lipid panel including triglycerides and HDL, blood pressure, and liver function. Ask for the figures rather than a verdict, and ask what they were three years ago. If you're on medication, keep your GP involved as things improve — doses often need adjusting downward, which is a good problem, but not one to manage on your own.

If you're considering a jab instead

Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro will very likely take weight off you, and for some people that's the right call. Just know that they don't repair what's underneath by themselves, which is why the "after" needs a plan — see thinking about Ozempic or Mounjaro? Read this first.

I'm not a doctor, and none of this is medical advice. If you want to talk it through with someone who's actually been through it, message me — no pitch.