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My Schedule
Learning to work exercise into my schedule
By Dana Lewis, diaTribe
Whether it's the holidays or the rapidly approaching "swimsuit season," there is usually pressure throughout the year to stay active. However, as a person with diabetes, you may feel as I do that there is an additional pressure to be fit and active, to disprove the stereotypes of living with diabetes. In this spirit, when diaTribe asked, I decided to try out Fit4D personalized diabetes coaching to see what impact it would have on my diabetes management and overall quality of life.
Fit4D provides personalized fitness and nutrition coaching to people with diabetes via virtual coaching teams that include nurses, nutrition specialists, and fitness coaches. Fit4D coaches help people with diabetes who have goals such as managing weight and learning to exercise. Additionally, the Fit4D team works with your doctor or healthcare provider to establish and reach health and diabetes goals. There is a two-month fee of $175.
Getting Started
Getting started with Fit4D takes a bit of time. You begin by filling out a series of forms that provide information to your coaching team about your eating habits, favorite foods, exercise schedule, work/life schedule, etc. It took me a couple of hours to analyze all of my habits, provide the information, and establish my personal goals. You also sign waivers that allow them to access your medical records and communicate with your healthcare team.
Fit4D Coaching Team
Following sign-up, you are assigned a three-person "coaching team" that helps you with diet, exercise, and overall health and wellness. Based on the initial forms and follow-up conversations, together they help you establish and refine your goals in different areas. Goals can either be numerical (e.g., decrease A1c by x points, lose x pounds) or behavioral (e.g., increase testing, reduce food intake, improve physical activity patterns) – I chose the latter route, to help improve my daily routines. Luckily, I'm happy with my A1c, but I do think I might find a team even more helpful if I were looking for improvement there.
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Recipe Shuffle
I'm sitting waiting for a table at the cafe' for me and a friend who is running a bit late. Feeling a little off, I grab my test kit and poke my finger, getting a little blood droplet. "Does that hurt?" Asks the man sitting next to me. He's an older guy, with some pretty profound ear hair. I note the ear hair as I say "Sort of... I think I'm kind of used to it now. I've been doing it a long time." My sugar is a little elevated...
