Let’s Talk: I’m prediabetic

Late last year I had my annual physical, and a couple of weeks after that. I got a call from my doctor. this is what she said…

She told me that I’m officially prediabetic. My blood sugar levels were hovering around 5.6 and after my physical, it went up to 6.1. She told me that I needed to make some lifestyle changes and I needed to make them now in order to prevent full blown diabetes. Changes I needed make were cutting down on sugar (it was during the holidays so that was tough to get around), a consistent exercise routine – which I was already getting in (somewhat). I also needed to ensure I was staying stress free and sleeping. Now I knew tackling stress and sleep would be easier said than done but I need to make this change for my own wellbeing.

When I got back to my car after hearing the news from my doctor, my heart sunk. I started crying – balling actually. I went into full drama queen mode (le sigh) “I’m too young for this!” I cried out (My Dad is also prediabetic but he was well into his 60s before he was diagnosed.) I felt defeated and guilty…like I brought this onto myself. You may or may not know but doing influencer work isn’t easy nor is it stress free. Layer on top of that filming Cityline segments,  a full time job which entails me leading a team, as well as being a wife and mother. Yea being stress free and getting much sleep wasn’t really in my repertoire and when things got really stressful, you better believe I was not reaching for a kale salad.

After coming to grips with my diagnosis, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and changed my mindset and focused on how to beat this condition. I researched about prediabetes and got a better understanding about the condition. I also told my sorority sister, who is studying to become a naturopathic doctor, and gave her the news. It wasn’t long before I got my diagnosis that she was basically reprimanding me (like any real friend) for not sleeping and eating properly. She reprimanded me again but assured me that she would help me get back on track. She introduced me to intermittent fasting and other diet tips to help lower my blood sugar.

for exercise, I decided to get back into the groove at F45 Pickering and join in on their 25th 8-week challenge. I never really stopped working out, but I wasn’t going as frequently as I used to and I should tell the difference. Those who aren’t familiar with F45 can read about it here. It is by far my favourite workout program. It’s short and sweet and gets the job done – as long as you put the work in.

The 8 week challenge consists of a disciplined schedule of working out, journaling and following the challenge meal plan which is perfect to help tackle my pre-diabetic condition.

The Pickering Central F45 studio, is fairly compact and features your basic equipment like weights, bikes, rowers, ropes, medicine balls etc. however don’t be fooled – the F45 program features thousands of exercises to go through, with 250 more being added quarterly. These exercises are packaged into different workout programs  which have funky names like “Tokyo Disco”, “Piston” and “3Peat.” so every workout at F45 is different – Tokyo Disco today won’t be the same Tokyo Disco next week!

I’ve done the challenge twice before and have seen amazing results.

I recall my first Cityline episode when I was upwards of 160lbs back in 2018:

As you can see in that lovely photo, my outfit selection wasn’t the most flattering. It wasn’t terrible but let’s say just because I like to call myself the black Martha Stewart, doesn’t mean I need to dress like her lol.

Since joining F45 Pickering, I’ve learned you really do get out what you put in. During my first challenges, I maintained the course and you could see it:

Remember the Nutty Professor when Eddie Murphy’s character went crazy after his transformation and wanted everything in spandex? I didn’t want all the spandex but I definatly changed my wardrobe!

When you think about making a lifestyle change, it’s really about taking that first step and making that commitment to yourself  to live a healthier life. I’ve talked about my love for our F45 Pickering family several times. Although you go through the workouts individually, everyone in the class is considered a teammate and you high five each other after every session. You make new friends and push each other to work harder and hit goals. You also have the support of the coaches who aren’t just there to tell you when its time to move stations. They take time to learn about you, your injuries, your goals, etc and they are always open to giving advice. F45 Pickering is really a community.

With this challenge, I’m looking to reset my healthy eating habits in hopes of lowering my blood sugar levels. Some people may think the workouts may be the hardest part but for me it’s things like getting that 7-8 hours of sleep that I have struggled in the past with. Sleep is actually a major component of the challenge and you earn points for  sleeping 7-8 hours daily. I’m about just over a week into this challenge, and I have been doing better with sleep and in combination with the workouts and meals, I’m already seeing results!

Follow along my journey on Instagram and if you’re in the Pickering area, come over to F45 Pickering and give a class a try! You can sign up for a one week trial! For more info on prediabetes, click here.