My Health Wake-Up Call
As it’s World Diabetes Day, I thought I should share something with you. I have one call that was lesson 101 which made me stop in my tracks, I was told by my doctor that I had pre-diabetes. As you know, retirement is usually supposed to be when you can sit back and enjoy life. That pre-diabetes in retirement diagnosis threw me a bit of a curve ball. This is not the idea I had, for my retirement! However, the good thing is that I changed my fortune and here is how.
So rather than being upset by this; I took action. And guess what? My health improved within a year. If you are one of the retirees facing a similar diagnosis or perhaps you are approaching retirement and just heard the news that your blood sugar is too high as yours truly did, be encouraged: pre-diabetes can also be reversed.
On this day that means so very much to me, I hope sharing my story helps nudge someone into taking those first steps. With the help of a wellness group and small, consistent changes that anyone can make, I learned how to reverse pre-diabetes after 60.
Let Us Talk About Pre-diabetes in Retirement
You’re not going through this alone if you are over 60. Many of us encounter pre-diabetes as we age. We slow down a bit, possibly spend more time on the sofa, and our previous habits gets thrown out of the window. If you are like me and come from a BAME background, the stakes could be even higher. The good news is …. we can do something about it!
I never realised how to reverse pre-diabetes after 60 was that easy until my doctor explained the process to me in detail. Of course, you would have to be intentional and work hard, but it wasn’t crazy. I held onto this knowledge to instil hope in my heart, courage and the belief that I could do things differently.
Creating a Community for Support
The most pivotal factor in my journey was signing up for a prediabetes support for older adults. It was literally the best part of my week, every week! We would trade successes and failures, exchange advice, and share lessons learned. It was great having a dietitian there who taught us that we did not have to give up everything we loved. It’s supposed to be balance, not deprivation.
When I first attended a meeting, of course I was nervous. Everyone was so welcoming, recognising that we were all in the same boat. Our bond formed quickly and we became family in a sense: celebrating the smallest of victories for one another while helping each other on the hardest days. Any journey seems to be less tasking when one does not walk it on their own.
Little Food Changes That Had a Big Impact
You do not have to completely change your diet before you start seeing the fruit of your hard work. I began to prepare my meals in advance, incorporated more whole grains and vegetables and drastically reduced everything processed. I have a BAME background, so adapted my cultural staples to be healthier (e.g. made them with whole grain flour as opposed to refined). Little switches that make a lot of difference! Read our article on Retirement Nutrition: How to transform Your Diet for top tips on healthy eating.
The trick was the long-term changes, so I could stick with it. A dietician even guided us on how to read food labels, so we can make better choices at the supermarket. I discovered that healthy eating is not tasteless eating; it is simply about moderation and doing the right thing.
Exercise and Active Living: Incorporating Movement into Your Day
Exercise was once my most hated word and exuberantly the only one I would never utter. But I began small, with 30 minutes of walking a day. I suddenly started looking forward to my walks in the morning. They fuelled me, they cheered me up and they balanced my blood sugar. Even gardening counts as exercise according to our fitness instructor.
What I learned is that movement doesn’t have to be hardcore workouts at the gym. Some days it would be gentle stretching, other gardening and some dancing around my living room to music that I liked. Check out our guide on Retirement Fitness Advice: 7 Ways to Stay Healthy and Happy.
The best part is that moving your body with purpose is the perfect medium to reverse pre-diabetes after 60 so make it what you enjoy most!
The Weight Just Began Falling Off
A great thing happened with these changes that I made, I naturally lost weight, around 10% of my body weight during the course of a year. I do realise that weight can be a controversial issue, more so in the BAME communities where food hugely defines our cultures. However, this slow and steady approach has paid off for me big time. Sustainable changes, no crash diets.
The best part? No time felt like I was “on a diet” I was creating a sustainable lifestyle that I could keep up for the long term, not losing weight. Assimilation of those small shifts resulted in major changes within with regards to how I feel and look.
According to Diabetes UK, even a small amount of weight loss can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 60% in older adults.
My Accountability and Support Squad Made a HUGE Difference
Those weekly check-ins each Thursday with my diabetes support group for older adults made the difference. Having people who understand what you are going through is so valuable. We cheered one another on (even when the wins were small), exchanged insights, and provided each other motivation during the hard parts. Our recent article on ways to maintain socially connection in retirement can be a good resource.
To keep in touch between meetings, we formed a WhatsApp group. If anyone needed a quick recipe idea or just some words of encouragement, help was always only a text away. Well, it made a great difference in motivation as I had the constant support system.
The Big News: Pre-Diabetes in Retirement Got Reversed!
A year later my doctor couldn’t believe my blood sugar numbers, back to normal! In retirement, I had reversed my prediabetes and it was a great feeling! Even more exciting than the numbers was how much better I felt, in general. Increased energy, improved sleep, a newfound zest for life.
My experience in this journey is that a diagnosis of prediabetes does not have to equal years and years of worry in retirement. It is absolutely possible to regain control and have Achieve a healthy, vibrant retirement month with dedication, support, and lots of little changes.
Want to Join Us?
So, if you or someone you know has pre-diabetes in retirement remember this: pre-diabetes is not a death sentence, you can do it and you’re not alone. Collectively, let us start working towards better health because when you retire, life is to be lived.
Turning over that new leaf: It is never too late. If I could do it, so can you!
Interested in learning more about becoming part of our community? We’d love to have you. It is so much easier on our health and way more fun when we do it together after all!
