Diana, Diana, Diana.
WOW, what a transformation!
She is a tender little one, at the youthful age of 24!
She came to me after being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, and realized that if she didn’t make a change, her life would be cut short. She hoped that exercise could help prevent her from taking diabetes medication. (so far, so good!)
She works out with me 3 days a week, and walks every day at lunch. She watches what she eats, and has to carry a very mature perspective for her age to acknowledge her choices do not necessarily result in short-term consequences, but absolutely have long-term consequences. So, while other young women her age may sometimes (or frequently) indulge, she knows her body’s functioning does not cooperate with these choices.
Alongside training to manage her diabetes, bolster her confidence, and improve her athletic abilities- she is training in preparation for her wedding! We have a few months to go, so we will continue on this trajectory so she feels as fit and fabulous as she wants on her big day 😉 We will keep you posted with more pics as her wedding day approaches! 😉
Check out her before and after-
4/21/12 180 lbs
8/16/12 160 lbs
Here is Diana, telling her side:
It has been quite a couple of months for me. An engagement, a diagnosis of diabetes, and a stack of other health issues on top of that, all in the last nine months! When I found out I have diabetes, I knew I couldn’t keep procrastinating on getting healthy, so I attacked it on all fronts.
Exercise. That’s where Kristina has been most awesome! I’m a born-and-bred couch potato, so I knew I would need someone else to keep me motivated and committed. There are days where I’m tired or stressed and just plain don’t want to go, but I know I can’t let Kristina down. I always felt uncomfortable with the idea of just getting up and running, which turned me off of the idea of exercise. But Kristina’s method, with a lot of focus on strength and flexibility, is more fun for me. There’s so much variety, so I don’t get bored, and I get this step-by-step boost every time I can lift a larger weight or balance better. It has really helped me feel more in control of my own body. A lot about staying healthy seems to be about deprivation and stress – exercise is my favorite part because it you can really focus on the positive accomplishments and not what you’re missing out on.
Nutrition. This has definitely been a big struggle. Anyone who knows me knows I love food, and the low carb diet suggested by my doctor leaves very little room for a lot of my favorite foods. I know I have good days and bad – my biggest thing is working on incorporating this into my life for the long term. I’m not eating this way to lose weight for the wedding (although it’s certainly a nice side effect!) or to train for something, I need to find a way to eat that I can sustain for the long term. That means that there’s not shortcuts or easy solutions – I need a diet that will be resilient to stress or life changes or anything that comes my way. I’m really working on being adaptable – I test my blood sugar and try to analyze all the different factors in my life. If I’m having a hard time controlling late night snacking, it’s not about beating myself up for what I ate on one day. It’s how do I problem solve this so it happens less often? Maybe I need to go to bed early or not do any stressful work after 9? Why don’t I try that and see how it works with my life? My best strategies for success so far have been to prepare meals in advance. If I have a really delicious breakfast waiting in the fridge in the morning, it’s a lot easier to jump start my day. If I bring lunch to work, I don’t have to stress about finding a healthy option in the cafeteria. I try to keep it interesting too. A few years ago, I lost a lot of weight eating just salad at lunch everyday for months, but now the thought of that particular salad makes me nauseous. Variety not only ensures I get a lot of nutrients, it also helps me keep from getting bored and bailing out!
Mental: In the past, I would always think “OK, today is the day I will start being healthy.” Or more often it was always “tomorrow.” I think the thing I’ve learned the most is that it’s not a switch you flip – healthy/unhealthy. It’s about sticking to working at something that’s really difficult sometimes. It’s “I’m going to do my best, right now, in this minute” or “I’m going to let that last day or that last meal go and focus on the present.” I don’t like people who paint their weight loss as some magical, wonderful journey where everything is better at the end of it. It sucks sometimes! It’s hard! Sure, some parts get easier, but others get harder. I think it’s worth it, but it’s a struggle, and, more than anything, I’m proud of myself for continuing to push and work.
The rewards have been great so far! My blood sugar has improved so much that my doctor told me I don’t need to be on any medication for now, and I’ve lost 20 pounds. So a happy ending, but also still a work in progress…
AUG