I’m pre diabetic, now what?

A few weeks ago I took a trip to the cardiologist. I was having these weird flutters in my heart. Self care is very important to me. I’m not playing any games with my health so I made an appointment. It freaked me out because I’ve been on this earth going on forty one years and I have NEVER had any health issues, scares or complications. So this was new to me. After performing an EKG my results came back pretty normal. I do have an irregular heart beat. Nothing alarming, but when they gave me the option to wear a heart monitor for a few weeks, I said yes. Again, this is all new to me so I want to make sure my heart is healthy.

My lab results revealed that my potassium was low, which could be why I’m feeling those flutters. They continued to read me my lab work one by one. Blood pressure great, kidneys look good, thyroid is normal. Then they hit me with something I was not expecting. “You are pre diabetic” I looked around to see if they were talking to someone else. Nope, me because clearly I’m the only one in the room. All I could do at that time was kinda laugh and say, “ for real?!” They began to talk to me about diabetes and asked if it runs in my family. It does. On both sides. I then did a scan of all the horrible things I’ve been eating over the past few months. Man was it really that bad? I have been going ham on those Oreos. Wow! This is reality.

I sat and listened to them about how my numbers are low and I can reverse it if I just tighten up. I let them know that when I come back for another reading I promise those numbers will look completely different. My mindset went straight to, Tracey! You got this!! That day I went to Whole Foods and gave them all my money. That night I rode my peloton with a mission. The weekend hit and I hit a wall. mentally I was TRASH! I went from motivation to depression. I cried y’all. I cried hard. I was so disappointed in myself. I could not believe I let myself down. My inner circle checked on me and my husband let me have my time. I rode my peloton in the dark and ate my veggies and protein quietly.

If you didn’t know, I was a personal trainer. So this was killing me. I know better! How could I let this happen. I had a few life changing events happen over the past year and a half so my usual “beast mode” decreased. I wasn’t working out as hard as I use to. My clean eating wasn’t so “clean”. I guess this was my wakeup call.

When I crawled out of my hole. I felt better. As crazy as this sounds, I needed that weekend of sorrow. That weekend gave me time to have a come to Jesus conversation with myself. I asked myself what was the plan moving forward? Because if I stayed in this bed crying I would accomplish nothing. I told myself had I not gone to the doctor I wouldn’t know this important information and things could have gotten worse. So this is a blessing. I thought about my kids, my family, YOU. This information is power. I felt empowered.

So now what? I’m glad you asked. Here are some things I’m doing to reverse pre diabites and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

• I’ve adjusted my diet, DRASTICALLY. I cut out sugar. Yes, I went cold turkey. That’s just how I operate. I know this is a bit crazy and I’m not saying that’s what YOU should do or its right. But for now, this is my life. I am on the hunt for a dietician so we can talk about a healthy balance so I don’t have to be so extreme . A sis misses her sugar coffee.

• Workout like my life depends on it. Because it does. I’m not saying I’m about to start training for CrossFit games but I do work out everyday. Exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body's sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance. The peloton has been a great addition to my workout routines. I do weight training then finish on the bike. Not only is working out good for you physically. It’s great for your mental health.

• Educating myself and others. Learning as much as I can about diabetes. I need to know what I’m up against. I also need to learn more about the genetic traits. I can possibly pass this down to my kids. Educating my kids on the importance of healthy eating and being active to prevent this disease is important. I want them to learn you can have your favorite snack from time to time. Just not all the time. Like mama was doing. I miss those golden Oreos.

Even if I can’t reverse the numbers, I need to know how to live a healthy lifestyle with diabetes. I know a lot of people who have it and are doing a great job with keeping it under control.

Now that you know what’s going on in my life. I would like you to do something for me. I would like you to make an appointment with your physician and schedule a physical. I don’t want you to go to the doctor because your heart was fluttering or you passed out. I want you to go and get a check up, now.

Ladies, we only have one body. We need to take care of it. Love yourself. You might look healthy on the outside but it could be a different story on the inside. Don’t wait.

I hope this story helps someone.