Listen to Episode 15 of The Diabetic Toolbox: Don’t Wait Until Next Year! Three Tips to Help You Get Back on Track
“Difficulties allow me to exercise my focus and determination. I trust my faith and concentrate on maintaining a calm soul during trying times. This approach will help me to conquer the challenges that I face.” Excerpt from You Are Stronger Than You Think-Affirmations to Heal Your Mind, Body, and Spirit
Let me ask you a question, are you where you thought you would be on your wellness journey when you made your New Year’s resolution at the beginning of the year? If you answered yes, congratulations; excellent job, and keep up the good work. I mean it; you are an inspiration to the rest of us. But, if you answered no, this episode is for you.
To be honest, I am also answering no. Last October, I was so pumped after I completed my first half-marathon. Months of consistent training, support from my walking buddy (shout out to my daughter-in-love Chelsea), and a great coach, accountability partner, and friend, Ericka, had gotten me to the finish line. I planned to rest up a bit and complete another half-marathon in December before beginning my training for a summer sprint triathlon in January.
None of that happened. My already stressful job got even more stressful when one of our team members left, my car died, and I had to get a new one, an expense I was not expecting. My family suffered the loss of one of our patriarchs. And to top it off, I had some expenses added to my budget, and I had to get a second job.
In the face of all this stress and overwhelm, I let go of the one thing I said I would never let go of again, my self-care. Unfortunately, my old eating patterns started to emerge, and I gained some weight, beat myself up, and once again was afraid to schedule my yearly physical for fear that my doctor would ask, what happened? You made such good progress; you don’t want your prediabetes to return.
I knew something had to change. It is very easy for 12 pounds weight gain to become 20 pounds or more. The difference between this time of starting again, unlike the last hundred times when I was yo-yo dieting, is that I knew exactly what to do, and that is what I want to share with you today.
Instead of waiting until next year, you will dry your tears, put your big girl panties on and start with tip number one. Show yourself some grace. When I was a professional dieter, I was always my worst critic; I cringe when thinking of the mean things I used to say to myself. Something like, “girl, you should know better by now.’ Or “with all your education and certifications, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.” And those were some of the milder comments. Maybe your inner critic is wreaking havoc on your self-confidence, and you are thinking, I will wait until you fill in the blank happens. Stop, hug yourself and tell yourself you are stronger than this setback, and you will come back from it, and you know what you will.
Tip number 2 is to get moving, hey, I am a wellness coach, and this is a health and wellness show; what kind of coach would I be if I didn’t get you up and moving? Write down one workout you enjoy and can commit to doing 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. Write down where you will complete your chosen training and what time.
Do not overcomplicate this; your workout could be as simple as I am going to swim twenty laps five days a week. Or I am going to cycle for 30 minutes Monday-Friday. My goal is to walk 50 minutes Monday, Wednesday, Friday. That’s it, do not overload your mind or your schedule with a workout plan you will dread and will be challenging to keep up with.
Your goal is to get moving for 150 minutes each week. You will naturally lose some weight, reduce your stress, and calm your inner critic. I am about three months into my walking program, and in the beginning, everything hurt, and I was more than a little ashamed of myself. But I kept going, my anxiety was under control, and I lost the weight I had gained. Plan for the unexpected; there will be days when you may have to shift your time or break your workout into smaller chunks, which is okay. The important thing is to complete the activity. Set boundaries and remind yourself that this time is for you and that you are essential.
Tip number three, reconnect with your community. The first thing I did when my world fell apart was distanced myself from my coach, accountability partner, workout buddy, and The Diabetic Toolbox community. To quote one of my coaches, Stacey Morgenstern, “transformation happens in a community, not in isolation.” She’s right; I know that if I had not let my shame overtake me and shut myself off from the community, my workout buddy, and my coach, I would not have regained the twelve pounds of my 43-pound weight loss. Instead, I would have been kinder to myself and protected my mental health.
I want to encourage you to reconnect with your community or find your tribe; these folks will love you, support you, push you to be your best self, and kick you in the booty when needed.
So, let’s do a recap:
- Show yourself some grace, stop beating yourself up and remind yourself, “Difficulties allow me to exercise my focus and determination.” I believe in you; start believing in yourself.
- Do not wait for some arbitrary date to start, like the holidays to end or for things to calm down in your life; start now.
- Schedule your movement, choose an activity you love or like, and commit to 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. If you need to break your workout into smaller chunks, do it and feel good about it.
- Connect with your community, do not try to do this alone; if you don’t have a community, email info@thediabetictoolbox.com and I will send you information on our next healing circle event. The healing circle is a free monthly gathering for women journaling through a prediabetes or type 2 Diabetes diagnosis.
Remember, self-care must be your priority if your goal is to reverse or successfully manage your prediabetes. When you function at your highest level, every area of your life is better, and your work, relationships, health, and finances will shine because you decided to put yourself first.
Remember, you are stronger than you give yourself credit and more blessed than you know.
With Peace and Love,
Renee
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