Know Your Numbers
According to the Diabetes Prevention Program, modifying lifestyle to include 150 minutes of physical activity a week and losing 7% of initial body weight has been shown to reduce the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes by 58%. Start by figuring out what that 7% goal is for you and track your current movement. Knowing these numbers can help you set realistic goals for change!
Find Enjoyable Ways to Move More
Do you enjoy exercise? If the answer is no you might want to reevaluate your current routine. Sure, meeting the 150 minute per week goal is important, but if you're doing something you don’t enjoy the likelihood that you will keep it up week after week is much lower. Instead aim to find a type of movement that you enjoy such as learning a new dance step with a partner, discovering a hiking trail while taking in the view, or trying a Zumba class.
Visualize Your Meals
Adjusting your diet for diabetes prevention doesn’t have to be complicated and doesn’t require special products or plans. Start by visualizing your plate for your next lunch or dinner: draw an imaginary line down the center of the plate and reserve half for non-starchy veggies, next divide the second half of the plate again and use a fourth of the plate for starch or carbs and the last fourth for protein. This is called The Plate Method. No foods are off limits but by rearranging how food gets placed on the plate it helps to provide a more balanced healthy meal.