Preventing Diabetes: How One Program Helped Me When Others Did Not

Over the past decade, I’ve lost about 40 pounds — 10 pounds at a time. Each time I lost 10 pounds, I would relax, feeling confident that I achieved my goal. I’d step on my scale in a few months, or worse yet, on the scale at my doctor’s office, and oops – I had gained those 10 pounds back, and maybe a little more.

I now weigh less than I did more than 10 years ago, thanks to the Trinity Health Diabetes Prevention program. More importantly, my A1-C has dropped from 6.1 to 5.9. I’m not out of the woods yet, but I’m making real progress this time.

How did this happen? During the last 10 years, my doctor asked me to lose weight, then told me to lose weight, and finally referred me to a dietician as she watched my A1-C continue to rise as I struggled to lose weight. This past fall, she suggested Trinity Health’s Diabetes Prevention program.

Sure, I groaned when I read her note referring me to the program. I groaned again when I read that it was a yearlong program that would require me to attend a weekly telehealth call. But I knew in my heart that I had to do it.

It came down to this: Do I want to continue to play the lose-a-little, gain-a-little scenario that I’ve been in for the last decade, or do I want to get off the merry-go-round and make a long-term change with my weight loss goals? More importantly: Do I want to add diabetes to my list of health issues? That one was the easiest to answer with a resounding, no!

So how did this plan make a difference for me?

The Program

Each meeting centers on a weekly topic, and the curriculum is sent prior to the meeting. I’ve kept these documents so I can review them in the future. Sure, some of the topics were basic — calories in, calories out determines if you will gain or lose weight — but those reminders helped keep me on track. The lesson plans on substituting low calorie foods for high calorie foods and portion control have been particularly helpful in making better choices.

Accountability

I must track what I eat, and how much I exercise daily. I’ve been tracking my weight off and on since about 2012 on a fitness app. I have an Apple Watch so it’s easy to track my exercise. With this program, I must hand in my numbers. My coach reminds us often that we must exercise and get our heart rate up. Tracking and reporting my calories and my minutes of exercise makes a big difference.

Longevity

Sure, I’ve dropped weight in a few months before, and then gained it back, but after being in this program for nine months, it’s apparent to me that staying with a program for a year helps me stay on track and develop lifelong healthy choices and habits. I’m eating less and drinking a lot more water. It took about six months to really adopt these habits for good.

Support

Talking with my coach and the other people in my group during our telehealth calls has been invaluable. Members in my group have helped me deal with peer pressure (politely say “not today” when someone insists you must try their homemade dessert) and our coach has helped us stay on topic — and on track — to meet our individual weight loss goals. “Eat your calories, don’t drink them” and “You’re probably not hungry, just dehydrated” will stick with me.

Don’t ignore your doctor’s warnings to lose weight and lower your A1-C, like my neighbor did. She’s lost 45 pounds — after receiving her diabetes diagnosis. Prevent diabetes by actively taking charge of your eating and exercise habits, with help from Trinity Health’s Diabetes Prevention program. I did. I hope you will, too.

To learn more about Trinity Health’s Diabetes Care programs, visit Trinity Health Michigan.