Prediabetes Can Be Beat!

Yesterday I spent the day near the ocean.  It was one of those gorgeous days where the sky was crystal blue; ocean was incredible with the perfect breeze blowing.  The day was...well, I don't have the words to describe it adequately.  Then, because I love watching people, I started  watching them and noticing the food they were carrying - it was all either deep fried, sweet, or deep fried and sweet.

Late last night I was looking at yesterday's Los Angeles Times and came across an article with this headline: " Clothing lines embrace plus sizes."  People are getting bigger and need bigger clothes.  Do you think there is any correlation between what we eat, getting bigger and clothing manufacturers making larger sizes?  Nah, couldn't be...could it?

There are 75,000,000 to 80,000,000 Americans who have Prediabetes.  This is a condition where they have high blood sugar readings and will most likely be diagnosed with Diabetes sooner or later.  Take a look at what the American Diabetes Association says about Prediabetes.

Let me tell you - you do not want to be a diabetic.  Your life will change if you take the disease seriously.  And, if you don't, you will pay a heavy price.  Am I scaring you a bit?  I hope so.  I wish someone had scared me when I was told I had Prediabetes.

If you are told you have Prediabetes there are steps you can take - steps that mean you probably will not get Diabetes.  What do you need to do?  Talk with your doctor.  Find out the immediate things to do.  Chances are it will be a short list (I like short lists).  You will need to educate yourself and take action.

So, what might be on your 'to do list?'

Change your diet.  You can always go to a lower carb diet as a first step.  If anyone had really told me, or if I had taken the time to find out instead of being in denial, I would have found that a lower carb diet was not a bad thing at all; in fact, it's pretty good.


I look back at how much I used to eat and I am amazed.  I ate much more than I needed to eat.  Why?  I just love the taste of food.  How it looks.  How it smells.  How it tastes.  I just love everything about it.  If a plate of pasta is good, two plates are better.  Am I right?  Well, I was wrong.  If I had made a few changes and understood that I only needed to eat the food I would need for fuel, I would be much better off today.  But, it's not easy to change how one eats until they are forced to do so.

Don't become a diabetic statistic.  Start thinking about what you eat; how much you eat and the effect it has on your body.


You might need to lose a little weight.  Guess what, if you go to a lower carb diet, you will probably lose a little weight.  I know it's not easy - really.  There is no magic potion to take or a magic pill to take that will make you lose weight permanently.  It's about changing habits.  Changing eating habits.  But, if you can change that habit, you will change your life! I know I will be writing about this sometime in the future.

Change your diet...Maybe lose a little weight...anything else?  Yes, exercise.

Exercise.  You don't have to spend two hours in the gym to exercise.  You are not going to six-pack abs here.  You just want to get healthier.  All you need to do is to get 150 minutes a week of exercise.  Did you know that cleaning a house or apartment is considered exercise?  Chances are you are already do that.  Maybe you can walk for 30 minutes a night.  Just 30 minutes a night to keep track of what's going on in the neighborhood and it's exercise!

If I sound like I am begging you to take action, I am.  I would much rather hear about someone beating a Prediabetes diagnoses than progressing to full-blown diabetes.  It can be reversed and YOU can do it.

Exercise...What if I Can't Walk?

In the beginning - as I learned of my diagnoses - all I heard about exercise was walk, walk, walk as I began to research what exercise I could do.  I wrote before that I did not want to go to a gym, and the idea of running did not appeal to me at all.  So, the decision to walk was not to difficult. And, I am lucky, I can walk.

But, not everyone can walk for exercise.  Some may not be able to walk due to a physical issue.  So, what can they do for exercise?  I am not a physical therapist but I do have a few suggestions.

Remember, doing something - anything - is better than not doing anything.  Work around the house is considered a form of exercise by some - did you know that?  Think about it.  There's stretching, stooping, use of arms and legs...the list just goes on and on about the kind of movements you do when cleaning a home.  Keep that in mind, okay.  Maybe you need to create the cleanest house in the neighborhood and get your exercise doing it.

What else can you do?

If you have access to a pool, and you can enter and exit it, swim.  Swimming has long be considered the best exercise you can get.  The buoyancy water gives you makes it easier on the joints.  In fact, there are classes at some places in water aerobics.  Look at your local Y.

How about sitting in a chair?  Sitting in a chair?  Yep - but don't just sit there.  You can sit in just about any chair and lift your legs.  Extend them straight out.  Heels on the floor and slowly lift your feet.  Repeat.  And, repeat.  Work up to doing sets of 10, 15, 20 and more.  A set is just doing the exercise repetitively.  So do three sets of 15 leg lefts.  But, wait, that's not going to take 30 minutes, is it?

While still sitting in the same chair, lift light weights with you arms.  You can start with weights of a pound or two and do curls - bending your elbow and bringing the weight near your chin.  Or, you can take that same weight, hold your arm straight out and move it out to the side.  Add the use of weights to leg lifts and you begin to get closer to that magic 30 minutes.

By the way, if you can't afford the light weights, use a can of vegetables or fruit.  You have those in the house, right?

Maybe you can ride a bike.  Beg or borrow a bike if you don't have one and ride it for 30 minutes a day.

Did you know weights, bikes and exercise machines are available on Craigslist?  Kind of cheap and lightly used in some cases.  Be careful if you choose to by used and inspect the equipment to the best of your ability.

And, while I live in Southern California where I can walk outside almost everyday, some of you might not live in such friendly climates.  Find a treadmill or elliptical machine - again, consider getting used equipment. 

You can do this.  You can figure out a way to exercise - it's important to weight loss and management of diabetes.  It really is.  Exercise is something you have got to do - and this is coming from a person who hates exercise.

Coming soon - why do we have to exercise?

"Fitness - if it came in a bottle, everyone would have a great body." Cher