Pre-diabetic at 35, how did you turn it around without going extreme?

Same wake-up call at 34. What worked for me was small sustainable swaps, not extremes. I switched from kopi to kopi-o kosong or teh-o kosong, cut the condensed milk and sugar, that alone made a big difference over time. I still eat hawker but I ask for less rice, more veg, and I stopped the sugary drinks completely. Added a 30-minute brisk walk daily, nothing fancy. Within months my numbers improved noticeably at the next screening. The key is changes you can actually keep for years, not a two-week crash diet. Please do work with your doctor or a dietitian to track your numbers properly, everyone's body responds differently and mine needed monitoring.

My real-life approach was portion control and movement, because I refused to give up hawker food entirely, that's not sustainable in Singapore lah. I started eating my protein and vegetables first before the carbs, that reduced the sugar spike, a simple trick that works. I chose steamed over fried, thosai or yong tau foo soup instead of char kway teow most days, and kept the indulgent stuff for once a week. Also I discovered my sleep and stress were affecting my sugar too, so fixing my sleep helped. Down the line my readings normalised. Consistency over perfection is the whole game. Definitely go for your follow-up screenings and let a professional guide the medical side, I'm just sharing what helped me personally.