As I await the arrival of my first baby (she should be here any day now!), I have had plenty of time to think and plan my attack for getting back into shape. As a health professional I try to look the part and "walk the walk" as much as possible. I know I will be sleep deprived once my bundle of joy arrives, BUT…it all comes down to your attitude and digging deep to find out what motivates you!

Think about the real reasons you may want to improve your lifestyle, lose weight or get back into shape and then build goals off of those reasons.

Write down your goals, yes, I know it sounds corny but if you put it in writing then it is more concrete. Tell your friends and family about your goals, this way you will be accountable to those who are watching you achieve them; after all you can't go back on your word!

Spice up your routine, if you have been doing the same thing for the past few months like walking for 30 minutes 5 times per week and you have seen no results, shake it up a little. Take a dance class, go to aqua aerobics, hire a trainer to teach you how to effectively resistance train, the options are endless! Also shake up your eating, look up some healthy recipes online and make eating healthy fun.

Develop a support system. No, I don't mean invite a group of people over to sit in a circle talk about their cravings and all of the junk food they miss, that is what nutrition therapy is for. Enlist a group of friends with common goals to workout with, share recipes and plan healthy social outings like going to the farmer's market, hiking a new trail, etc. Studies show that if you have a good support system you will maintain results for a longer period of time and it is much harder to go about a lifestyle change alone.

Type 2 Diabetes is turning into an epidemic; it breaks my heart to see both children and adults who are diagnosed with this disease that could have been prevented with weight management and proper nutrition. There are millions of people in this country who are walking around unaware that they have diabetes. I often hear from clients that they did not feel any symptoms when they were first diagnosed so they did not take it seriously and were not compliant to the diabetic diet their doctor recommended to them. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and feel "fine" you will have a better quality of life down the road if you make some healthy habit changes NOW. Don't worry, you can still enjoy your favorite foods and your quality of life will not go down, just focus on making small changes. Controlling your diabetes through diet and exercise is optimal. A common goal of most of my diabetic clients is to get off diabetes medication while avoiding further complications such as neuropathy, blindness, amputation, or becoming insulin dependent. You can have that goal too!

Exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week, studies show that exercise helps stabilize blood sugars. Some experts even suggest that on the days you exercise you do not have diabetes. I would not go that far, but to say the least exercise is VERY important when it come to diabetes.

Aim to lose 7% of your body weight, several studies have proven that weight loss contributes to stable blood sugars. For a 275 lb. adult male this means lose 20 pounds or for 170 lb. female they should lose 12 pounds.

Focus on fiber and lean protein. Fiber helps slow down the absorption of carbohydrates which leads to stable blood sugars and helps one avoid high blood sugar readings. Aim to eat a minimum of 25 grams of fiber per day; fiber sources include whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Protein also helps slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and should be included in most meals or snacks. Instead of having pasta with marinara sauce add a grilled chicken breast or lean ground turkey or beef to the sauce. Rather than having a piece of fruit as a snack has it with some low fat cottage cheese or 1-2 Tbs. all natural peanut butter. The extra protein will keep you feeling full for a longer period of time thus avoiding overeating later in the day.

If you are struggling with diabetes and have specific questions or comments I would love to help you! Post a comment or e-mail me directly.