A Story of Persistence!
It did not work right away...he has completed the nutrition challenge a couple of times and has kept me updated on blood work, however, those numbers continued to climb over the past couple of years. In October 2021, his numbers spiked to all time highs (glucose = 203 and A1C = 9.1) and he knew he needed to take a more serious approach. He consulted with me and more importantly got help from his support group (family), they got to work encouraging him and making a commitment to change. He was "overwhelmed with the results" of his most recent blood work:
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Glucose = 103; A1C = 5.8; Weight - lost 25 pounds (10% of body weight), and Blood Pressure dropped from 140/90 to 128/74.
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Note: Glucose readings can vary from day to day. Anyone being monitored for pre-diabetes or diabetes should be aware of their A1C measure. A1C is "sugar saturation" of the body over a 2-3 month time period. If your goal is lowering A1C, you should work on your plan (nutrition and/or exercise plan) for 3 months leading up to your blood work. This individual "dialed into" his approach starting Columbus Day and progressed into February (3+ months).
When asked, are there any specific habits you have incorporated that you think greatly contributed to your success? He replied:
- 1) Drink more water.
- 2) Cut out sugar, processed meat, and cheese.
- 3) Lots of cardiovascular exercise.
Conclusion:
He states, "getting started was hard but once I could see some weight loss then it was easier to do". Weight loss and exercise are important variables in preventing, managing, and hopefully reversing pre-diabetes and diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends:
- 5-10% weight loss
- 150-minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week