10 Things You Do NOT Have to Do to Lose Weight, Lower Your Blood Sugar, or Increase Your Mobility

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Hello everyone, and welcome to The Diabetic Toolbox, where we are on a mission to end Type 2 diabetes one family at a time through education, support, and empowerment.

If this is our first time meeting, my name is Renee. I am an Emotional Eating and Diabetes Lifestyle Coach and yoga teacher, and I help folks over 40 who have been diagnosed with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes build healthier habits, lose weight, lower their blood sugar, and improve their mobility without spending hours a day in the gym or trying to survive on another overly restrictive diet.

Today, I want to talk about 10 things you do not have to do if you want to lose weight, improve your mobility, or lower your blood sugar.  This post comes from several conversations I’ve had this week, both at work and at the gym.

It’s incredibly easy to fall for internet trends, copy what worked for a friend, or make decisions out of fear. Someone loses weight doing something extreme, and suddenly we’re wondering if we should do it too.  As I work my way back into my own fitness routine, I have to admit that I was tempted to do more than a couple of the things on this list because I wanted to speed things up.

But I’ve decided to go back to the tried-and-true habits that helped me lose more than 40 pounds, lower my blood sugar, and turn my former couch-potato body into one that genuinely enjoys moving.  Sometimes the answer isn’t doing more.  Sometimes it’s doing the basics consistently enough to give them a chance to work.

So take this blog post with a grain of wisdom. Your body, medical history, medications, abilities, schedule, and goals are your own. Use what makes sense for you and leave what doesn’t.  And, as always, talk with your healthcare team before making significant changes to your eating or exercise routine, particularly if you take medications that can affect your blood sugar.

1. You Don’t Have to Wear Ankle Weights While You’re Walking Around

I’ve seen people wear ankle weights around the house, at work, and on their regular walks because they believe the extra weight will automatically make the activity more effective.  You don’t have to.   Adding weight changes the demands on your joints and how you move. More resistance isn’t automatically better resistance.

If you want to strengthen your legs, you can intentionally incorporate exercises such as calf raises, sit-to-stands, step-ups, or other appropriate resistance exercises into your routine.  Your everyday walk doesn’t have to become a weighted workout.  Sometimes a walk can simply be a walk.

2. You Don’t Have to Wear a Weighted Vest Either

Weighted vests have become extremely popular, and yes, they can be useful training tools for some people.  That doesn’t mean you need one.  If you’re just beginning to exercise, returning after a long break, carrying extra body weight, or dealing with joint discomfort, simply walking consistently may already provide plenty of challenge.

Instead, get comfortable walking first.  Build your endurance.  Increase your time or distance gradually.  Then, if you’re interested in adding resistance, determine whether a weighted vest is appropriate for you.  Don’t turn an optional fitness tool into another requirement standing between you and getting started.

3. You Don’t Need to Work Out Twice a Day

This one is especially for my fellow overachievers.  You do not have to exercise twice a day to make meaningful changes in your health.  Can you divide your movement into two shorter sessions if that fits your schedule and you enjoy it? Absolutely.  But you don’t have to.

Just remember a morning walk counts.  Twenty minutes on your stationary bike counts.  A strength-training session counts.  Ten minutes of yoga counts.  And shorter bouts of activity throughout the day count too.  The goal isn’t to see how exhausted you can make yourself. The goal is to build a relationship with movement that you can maintain.

4. You Don’t Have to Starve Yourself

Please don’t confuse hunger with success.  You don’t need to eat as little as humanly possible to lose weight.  Your body still needs nourishment, including protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates.  Instead of immediately asking, “What can I stop eating?” try asking:

What can I add to this meal that will make it more nourishing and satisfying?  Maybe it’s vegetables, beans, or a good source of protein, fruit, or a whole grain. A healthier eating pattern should teach you how to eat well, not how to fear food.

5. You Don’t Have to Skip Breakfast

And here’s an important distinction: you don’t have to eat breakfast either.  Meal timing is personal.  Some people enjoy breakfast and feel better when they eat in the morning. Others naturally prefer their first meal later in the day.

What you don’t need to do is force yourself to skip breakfast simply because someone on the internet told you that you can’t lose weight if you eat in the morning.  If breakfast helps you manage your hunger and energy throughout the day, eat breakfast.

If you prefer eating later and that approach works with your health needs, that’s another conversation you can have with your healthcare team.  The best eating schedule is one you can realistically live with while meeting your nutritional and medical needs.

6. You Don’t Have to Buy a Cabinet Full of Supplements

Walk into almost any health store, or spend five minutes scrolling social media, and somebody will be willing to sell you something promising faster weight loss, better blood sugar, more energy, less inflammation, or all four.  Be skeptical of miracle promises.  Supplements cannot replace the fundamentals.

Before spending your money on another bottle, ask yourself whether you’ve given consistent attention to your meals, movement, sleep, stress management, hydration, and the treatment plan you’ve developed with your healthcare team.

And remember that supplements aren’t automatically harmless just because they’re sold over the counter. Some can interact with medications or be inappropriate for certain health conditions.  Talk with your healthcare professional before adding them.

7. You Don’t Need an Expensive Protein Powder

Protein powder can be convenient.  It isn’t mandatory.  And the most expensive container on the shelf isn’t necessarily the best one.  You can get protein from everyday foods such as eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, lentils, fish, chicken, tofu, nuts, seeds, and other foods that fit your eating preferences.

If you choose to use protein powder, read the nutrition and ingredient labels rather than relying on the claims printed across the front of the container. Look at the protein, added sugar, calories, ingredients, serving size, and anything else that matters for your individual health needs.  Think of protein powder as a convenience, not a requirement for getting healthy.

8. You Don’t Have to Join an Expensive Gym

Now, I love the gym. I even got a job at my favorite gym to cover my membership.   I enjoy having access to different equipment and activities, and sometimes simply being in that environment makes me want to exercise.  But you don’t need a gym membership to start moving.  You can walk outside.  Walk inside.  Use the stairs.  Dance in your living room.  Do chair exercises.  Practice yoga.  Use resistance bands.  Lift dumbbells.  Use your own body weight.  The best exercise isn’t necessarily happening inside the fanciest building.  It’s the movement you’re actually willing and able to do consistently.

9. You Don’t Have to Stop Going Out With Your Friends

A healthy lifestyle should not require you to disappear from your life.

• You can go to dinner.
• You can attend the birthday party.
• You can enjoy Thanksgiving.
• You can have brunch with your girlfriends.
• You can celebrate.

One meal doesn’t determine the direction of your health.

Learn how to make choices when you’re eating away from home. Look for vegetables, protein, fiber-rich foods, and portions that work for you. Enjoy foods you love without turning one meal into a reason to abandon everything you’re working toward.  Food is nutrition, but food is also culture, family, celebration, memory, and connection.  Your health plan needs room for your actual life.

10. You Don’t Have to Berate Yourself Because You’re Starting Again

A very popular fitness program admonishes folks who miss a day to start over.  This isn’t true; this tip might be the most important one on the entire list.  Maybe you stopped walking.  Maybe the gym membership went unused.  Maybe you started eating differently for a few weeks and then old habits returned.  Maybe you’ve told yourself 20 times that Monday would be different.  Okay.  Start again.  You can never lose if you give yourself the grace to start over.  

But don’t convince yourself that you’re back at zero.  You’re bringing experience with you.  You know something about what worked.  You know what didn’t work.  You probably know a little more about your triggers, schedule, body, preferences, and excuses than you knew the last time.  Use that information.  You don’t have to punish yourself for stopping.  You need to make your next decision: to put on your shoes, take the walk, prepare the next meal.

Grab your fancy water cup or coffee cup and drink the water, decide to complete a workout even if you only have ten minutes, call your doctor today and schedule your physical, put down your phone and go to bed early, and then get up tomorrow and make another decision.

Keep It Simple Enough to Keep Going

There will always be another diet.  Another supplement.  Another piece of equipment.  Another influencer telling you that the reason you haven’t gotten results is that you’re missing the one secret they happen to be selling.  Don’t let all that noise convince you that taking care of yourself has to be complicated.

Focus on walking, building strength, and eating nourishing foods most of the time. Try to manage your stress when your day goes awry, stay connected to your health team and your support buddy, and give yourself enough time to see what consistent habits can actually do.

Well, my friends, that is all I have for you today.  Let me know in the comments: What’s one thing you thought you had to do to lose weight or lower your blood sugar that you’ve realized you don’t actually need?

And be sure to share this post with someone you love.  Download your free reference guide: 10 Things You Do NOT Have to Do to Lose Weight, Lower Your Blood Sugar, or Increase Your Mobility.  Keep it handy so you can encourage yourself or your walking buddy along the way.

If you’re ready to start moving again but aren’t quite sure how to begin, I invite you to join us for the 30-Day Walking & Blood Sugar Challenge.  Inside, you’ll get a beginner-friendly progressive 30-day walking program, a repeatable 14-day Mediterranean-style food plan, pre- and post-walking stretching routines, my beginner-friendly weight-training guide, email support, access to our private Facebook community, Ask the Coach support, and a community of people working toward the same goal.

You don’t need another extreme plan.  You need somewhere to begin and a plan you can follow.  Thank you for spending some time with me today.

With Peace and Love,

Renee