“Crushing Fitness & Stereotypes!”

“According to the CDC, around 10.5% of the population of the United States had diabetes in 2018. 11.7% of those diagnosed were non-Hispanic Black people and 7.5% were non-Hispanic white people… Around 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes.” Have you checked your A1C lately?

“But doctor, I don’t eat sweets!” “Hey, doc, you know I work out 5 days a week, right?” “Pre-diabetes?! I know you lying!” Those were the many thoughts going through my head the afternoon of July 22, 2020 when my doctor read my A1C numbers to me. Diabetes runs in my family. But it has never been anything I worried about dealing with. I was always active as a youngin, played just about every sport and tried to maintain a decent summer body in college. But apparently that wasn’t enough. I also did not consider myself as a “sweet eater” or a “dessert addict.” But apparently that didn’t matter. On July 22, 2020, my doctor told me I was in the ‘pre-diabetes’ stage; that meant that if I didn’t make drastic changes to the way I ate and my way of life, I would be on the road to having type 2 diabetes like some of my other family members.

The A1C test—also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test—is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It’s one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes…

CDC Website

I wasn’t having any of that! That news was shocking to me, but the good thing was that my numbers were low enough that the pre-diabetes was reversible. Doctor told me to cut out the white carbs: breads, pastas, fried foods, rice etc.; sweets and desserts; and overall consume fewer carbs and sugars. Why the white carbs? Well, those with diabetes or prediabetes are encouraged to eat foods that are lower on the glycemic index. Diabetes affects how your body turns food into energy. The foods we eat are broken down into sugar (i.e. glucose) and released into our bloodstream. CDC Website. Foods with a higher glycemic index are broken down and turned into sugar faster than foods with a lower glycemic index (GI). Those with diabetes or prediabetes should have a diet with foods with a lower GI. Healthline. Our bodies break down white carbs faster so white carbs aren’t really our friend. But they’ve been a part of our (read: Black people’s) diets for FOREVER. But if I took the doctor’s advice, I could see positive changes and a reversal of the diagnosis in just as little as 6 months.

For an entire week — from July 22nd to July 29th — I cried. I prayed. I stuffed my face with pizza. I cried. I prayed. I stuffed my face with Chinese food. I cried. I prayed. I stuffed my face with more pizza. “Diabetes?? No, God, no! I ain’t claiming that!” But like an epiphany, on July 29th I snapped out of my trance and I made the decision to turn this thing around. To reverse this thing the doctor calls ‘pre-diabetes.’ I refused to allow myself to get diabetes. I went into my pantry and my fridge and I threw out all of my syrup, Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ sauce, flavored coffee creamer, orange juice, bananas, pastas, noodles, bread, bagels. I was on Google just about every night searching “dinners for pre-diabetes” or “low-carb meals.” I experimented. I prayed. I chose my path. I changed the way I ate. I prayed. I experimented. I tried new things. I did my research. I stumbled across a Keto diet. And now, 9 months later, I have created a new lifestyle for myself.

I have a new outlook on the way I eat, and what I eat. I like to say “I eat whatever I want.” And that is totally true. I am not on a diet. But the key is what I want to eat has changed. What I crave has changed. I trained my mind to no longer rely on huge waffles smothered in syrup or fat bagels with cream cheese for breakfast, to no longer desire a large pizza, to no longer grab the honeybuns and flamin hot Cheetos off the shelf. Trust me, it was NOT easy at first (and some days I find myself drooling under my mask for a freshly toasted bagel or to grab a Munchkin out of the office kitchen. I also miss a big plate of mac n cheese, yams, BBQ ribs, and cornbread.) But I think living alone helped a lot. I didn’t have to worry about changing the way other people ate while I tried to figure this thing out for myself. I didn’t have to worry about trying new recipes to feed a family of 4. It was a journey that I had the ability to learn, fail, and grow to find joy in. And you know what? I would never go back to that old way of life.

I am proud to say that over the past 9 months I lost 30 pounds. It still comes as a shock to me, because THIRTY POUNDS?! I was told I was petite and skinny my entire life. That I look healthy for my weight. And I believed it. But now to learn that I was clearly at least 30 pounds overweight and it was negatively affecting my health… I still can’t believe it. Along with changing the way I ate and what I ate, I also changed the way I looked at fitness in general. Even though abs are made in the kitchen, I made sure I worked out because that’s what my doctor told me to do. I started out with a lot of cardio and then slowly incorporated weight training back into my routine. Now I have reached an extremely happy place with my fitness routine! I am truly blessed and am truly grateful for this entire journey. Because…

I CRUSHED THAT STEREOTYPE AND I REVERSED MY PRE-DIABETES!!!!!!

Quick funny story: my doctor’s appointment was originally scheduled for Monday April 26th. Bloodwork gathered Monday April 19th, and I had that date in my mind throughout my entire journey. It was my major milestone, to lose 30 pounds by that date. I then had this blog post already ready for Thursday April 29th too lol. But on Monday morning April 26th, the doctor’s office called me saying they had to reschedule. At first I had this mental downward spiral: all of these things I planned around the appointment and test results… But then I remembered it wouldn’t kill me. It will be alright. And everything happens in God’s timing.

So on Monday May 3rd, I got the great news that my A1C levels were DOWN! My test level in July was 5.8, and if your numbers fall between 5.7 and 6.4 you are in the “pre-diabetes” stage. My A1C test is now 5.4! I was so proud of myself and of my progress! The journey definitely doesn’t end here! They prefer your test numbers to be 4.8 to 5.6. If you’re interested in watching the vlog I did about my A1C and fitness journey, you can find it here.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Don’t allow yourself to believe that you’re incapable of achieving something. You heard it before, and you’ll read it here again — you can do ANYTHING that you set your MIND to! I emphasize “mind” because that’s where it all starts. If you can dream it you can achieve it. Period! When it comes to fitness, nutrition, or just overall routines I always tell people “train the mind and the body will follow.” Do the research. Experiment. Be okay with falling, but find the strength to pick yourself back up and try again!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV.

Moni Jay, Off the Record