Diabetes scare got me going!

by Lucy
(Hastings on Hudson N.Y.)

At an annual checkup with a new doctor in 2011 I was sent for a blood glucose test. It was borderline and my MD told me to start monitoring my blood sugar. I was 61 at that point and about 25 lbs overweight, although I had already started to clean up my diet (cutting way back on carbs, increasing protein).

I was determined not to become diabetic, and went to a nutritionist, a great doctor, who put me on some great supplements but also advised steady state cardio 20-30 minutes per day, after a 20 minute warmup. Well, the pounds just melted off. I started to feel so great, better than I could ever remember. I began to get interested in strength training and also high intensity.

So now I'm 65, in a size medium (occasionally a large, depending on the sizing) down from 2x, and I wear a fitbit all the time. I try to do 2 to 3 sessions of strength training per week, in my nifty home gym. I'm a person who doesn't like gyms and love to exercise to music and talk radio. I have a weight bench and dumbbells up to 24 lbs. (But I can't do 24 lbs yet and may never!). I learned a lot from "Old School New Body" and so I mainly do bench press, deadlifts, upper body rows and bent over rows. I also use ankle weights for one exercise because my knees are not good (after years of being overweight). For high intensity I can use either my indoor bike (recumbent) or right outside my house I have a hill and I can charge up that a few times. For steady state again I can use my indoor bike or go walking. I now have hiking poles and recommend them to anyone with lousy knees.

I try to remember to do some balance exercises and I love the Foundation exercise called The Founder.

I think it's important to find out what it is you actually enjoy doing. And then do it.