Introduction

Living with diabetes isn't easy. You know that diet and exercise are important in controlling your blood glucose, but how do you find balance in these areas without letting them take over your life? The answer lies in understanding how your body reacts to both diet and exercise and finding the practical solutions that allow you to enjoy your life and your health.

In most cases, exercise plays a pivotal role in diabetes prevention and is paramount in the treatment of this condition. But most important, exercise can play a major role in preventing complications associated with diabetes that can hinder your ability to thrive in your life.

I assume that you know that exercise can have positive effects on your health. In this book I introduce and discuss some practical tools that can help you plan an active and healthy lifestyle. Whether you are newly diagnosed with prediabetes, or whether you have had diabetes for a long time, I address questions that you may have about the specifics of starting and maintaining an exercise program, planning and following a healthy diet, and adjusting your medication based on your personal needs and goals.

Diabetes and the role of exercise in the treatment of this disease may seem complicated or confusing at first. Your physician may have told you that exercise is important but may be dangerous to your health if you do not plan your exercise, medication, and meals according to a specific schedule. Or maybe your doctor simply told you that you need to exercise more and eat less. Are these suggestions really solutions? For most of us, absolutely not. These types of suggestions are only introductions to solutions. You know how difficult, and sometimes even overwhelming, it can be if you do not have specific guidance in personal endeavors. What you really need is practical information on how to do these things. But in the current era of managed health care, most physicians have a difficult time delivering this information effectively in one office visit.

If these concerns are familiar to you, you've not alone. You'll start your action plan by understanding three basic principles. First, it is important to recognize the complications associated with diabetes. I explain how to recognize and deal with these problems, and why it is so important to do so early when exercising with diabetes. Second, you need to monitor your progress toward your goals and respond to change during this process. I explain how to monitor your eating habits, medication dosages, and exercise habits, and why this is essential to your success. Finally, you need to learn how to maintain control of your condition with exercise. I explain how to stay on track, even when distractions arise, and discuss why this will lead to lifelong success.

So what about those pounds you have been told to lose to prevent diabetes or optimize your diabetes treatment? Many studies have shown a close correlation between diabetes and obesity. In other words, most people with diabetes are overweight. Studies have also demonstrated that exercise can prevent or treat both diabetes and obesity. However, we all know how difficult losing weight can be-specially if the ultimate goal is to be thin. Fortunately, the data suggest that the amount of exercise required to treat obesity (to lose significant amounts of weight) is greater than that required to improve the condition of diabetes (controlling blood sugar levels). Your chances of success in minimizing diabetic complications are greater than your chances of fitting into the clothes you wore in high school. This means that you will likely see improvements in your diabetes before you realize a change in your physical appearance through weight loss. I describe ways to monitor your success in ways other than getting on the scale.

You are probably aware of the many methods of weight loss that have been described over the years. Weight-loss medications have been made available over the counter or by prescription. Many are available online or by mail. There have been a number of dieting methods available as well. You may have tried one or know someone who has. However, it is clear that pills or diets alone do not produce long-term success; nor do programs that incorporate exercise always work. Most of these weight-loss methods fail to produce long-term success because they do not address the principle of permanent lifestyle change, which involves healthy eating habits and exercise.

So what should you do when you are told that you have diabetes? The answer is not to just go out and find a diet plan or join the local gym. The simplest answer is to learn about your disease and how you can safely improve your specific condition by balancing your life with exercise. My commitment to you is to help you do just that. Once you understand your condition and what will improve it, only then can you make realistic, permanent changes that will allow you to enjoy a full and active life. So let's start your action plan for diabetes!